After I got off work yesterday I attended the Unity Action Expo put on by the Progressive Alliance Group in San Bernardino. I attended this expo because I believe the first step in empowering yourself and your community is to engage in the community. Enacting change on a local level not only empowers yourself, but it forces you to involve yourself in the everyday going ons in the community that surrounds you. I live streamed my time during the expo so I didn’t get a chance to take any pictures, but I found plenty of information via the flyers & pamphlets I was given. Following up on my promise to post the information I obtained during the event, check out my post below.
The event was from 11AM-4PM but due to the fact that I had to work I caught the tail end of the occasion. This didn’t stop me from obtaining some resourceful information from a couple of organizations in the community.
The first booth I stopped by was C.H.I.C.C.C.A.A. which is an acronym for Chicano Indigenous Community for Culturally Conscious Advocacy and Action. C.H.I.C.C.C.A.A. is a grassroots cooperative committed to educating and implementing Chicano Indigenous philosophies and ideologies into the modern society that surrounds our community here in the Inland Empire.
C.H.I.C.C.C.A.A. is also committed to decolonizing people by hosting events that celebrate their native culture and customs. They have taken a stance against the corporation that is NESTLE, due to the fact that NESTLE has been removing water from Strawberry creek in San Bernardino with use of an expired permit.
The next booth I went to was L.E.E.C. (Latinas Educating & Empowering the Community). The grant writer, Maria Ortiz hosts free classes on how to enroll in FAFSA for college and information regarding scholarships, grants, and loans. I couldn’t find their class schedule on their FB page so I will post it below for those who are interested.
8TH- 3:30PM-5:30 PM Indian Springs HS Room C-1
17TH- 3:30PM-5:30PM San Bernardino HS Portable Z-3
28TH- 5:30PM-7:30PM Cajon HS Room C-24
Be mindful that these classes are held in high schools located in the San Bernardino County district, so if you live near the Inland Empire you should come attend!
Overall, the experience was a great one, albeit short. I am looking into starting up a community garden plot for the locals, and in meeting a few organizations who share likeminded ideals, I have taken my first step in empowering the community using local resources. Check out the links below & Bless up!
